Giro d’Italia 2014 announces Northern Ireland “Big Start” routes

Giro d’Italia 2014 has been announced by RCS Sport at a special event in Milan, Italy.EPA

The full race route of the Giro d’Italia 2014 has been announced by RCS Sport at a special event in Milan, Italy. The Grand Tour cycling race, one of the world’s biggest sporting spectacles, begins in Belfast with the Grand Partenza, the ‘Big Start’, on Friday 9th May and finishes in Dublin on Sunday 11th May 2014.

The Grand Partenza route will take in iconic locations in Northern Ireland including Titanic Belfast, Parliament Buildings, the Giants Causeway and the Causeway Coast Road before moving on to the picturesque and historic setting of Armagh and south through Dundalk and Drogheda and then Dublin, with a spectacular finish in Upper Merrion Street.

The bid to bring the Grande Partenza to Ireland was led by Shadetree Sport’s Darach McQuaid, who commented, “We are really looking forward to bringing the Grand Partenza to Ireland in 2014. Cycling in Ireland is currently booming and we are hopeful that Nicolas Roche, Dan Martin and Philip Deignan will all be competing here next May after stellar performances from all three in 2013.”

There will be a special Giro Festival taking place in Merrion Square on Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th May 2014. The festival will include the “Irish Cycling Show” consumer expo and an Italian food and wine market, perfect for cycling and Italian enthusiasts!

The launch was attended by hundreds of international broadcast and print journalists, including La Gazzetta dello Sport, Italy’s most widely-read national daily and the official newspaper for the race. The race is set to attract considerable international media coverage. Last year’s Giro was broadcast in 165 countries, reaching 125 million households and a global audience of about 775 million people.

After the opening stages the cyclists will fly from Dublin to continue the race in Italy. More details can be found at www.girostart2014.com.

Giro d’Italia 2014 has been announced by RCS Sport at a special event in Milan, Italy.EPA